The following relates generally to controlling devices and, more particularly, to a controlling device that uses cues, such as color and/or sound, to convey information to a user of the controlling device.
Manufacturers typically provide a remote control with an appliance and, as such, different appliance types of different manufacturers are often commanded with different remote controls. To minimize the number of individual remote controls a user requires, universal remote controls have been developed. Accordingly, universal remote controls for commanding various functions of various types of appliances of various manufacturers have become quite widespread. By way of example, universal remote controls are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,959,810, 5,255,313 and 5,552,917.
Universal remote control applications for use in connection with hand-held devices such as personal digital assistants (“PDAs”) are also known in the art. In this regard, the universal remote control applications effectively turn the host computing device into a universal remote control capable of being used to command various functions of various types of appliances of various manufacturers. By way of example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,256 discloses a PDA having a separate infrared generating device connected to its printer port for controlling home appliances and commonly assigned U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2003/0103088A1 discloses a hand-held electronic device, such as a PDA, having a remote control application user interface that functions to display operational mode information to a user and usable, among other things, to setup the remote control application to control appliances for one or more users in one or more rooms, to perform activities, and to access favorites.
Still further, NoviiRemote provides a universal remote control application for use in connection with a Palm brand PDA. In the graphical user interface of the NoviiRemote, groups of function keys are color coded according to a logical category, e.g., volume function control keys are always displayed using a red color, transport function control keys are always displayed using a yellow color, and channel function control keys are always displayed using a green color. While this allows a user to readily discern the various function keys on the graphical user interface, no information is imparted to the user as to which appliance will be controlled upon actuation of a function key. The need for this imparting of information will become apparent from the discussion that follows.
For selecting which of multiple appliances a universal remote control is to command, a universal remote control may allow a user to place the universal remote control into an operational mode whereby the function keys will be used to transmit commands to a “primary” target appliance that has been associated with that operational mode. For example, a “TV” operational mode may be selected to place the universal remote control into an operational mode whereby function keys are used to transmit commands primarily to a designated television, a “VCR” mode may be selected to place the universal remote control into an operational mode whereby function keys are used to transmit commands primarily to a designated VCR, etc. It is to be appreciated, however, that within an operational mode, certain function keys may nevertheless be “locked” so as to transmit commands to a target appliance that does not correspond to the “primary” target appliance that has been associated with that operational mode. For example, volume function keys may be “locked” to an amplifier such that, when the universal remote control is in a “TV” operational mode activation of a volume function key will cause the universal remote control to transmit a volume control command to the designated amplifier, as opposed to the TV.
A universal remote control may also be provided with a “home theater” operational mode, a “user” operational mode (i.e., one established for a particular user), “room” operational mode (i.e., one established for a particular room), or the like (collectively referred to hereinafter as a “home theater” operational mode) which may be selected to place the universal remote control into an operational mode for commanding multiple, target appliances. For example, a “home theater” mode may be established whereby volume function keys are used to transmit volume control commands to an amplifier, channel function keys are used to transmit channel control commands to a cable box, picture control function keys are used to transmit picture control commands to a television, transport control function keys are used to transmit transport control functions to a VCR, etc.
While it may be useful to allow a user to command the operation of multiple appliances from an accessible set of function keys (whether through the use of “locked” function keys and/or “home theater” operational modes), users typically become frustrated as they often forget which appliance is assigned as a target for a function key at any given instant. Accordingly, a need exists for a means whereby a user may quickly discern information concerning a state of the controlling device, for example, a relationship between a function key and an intended target appliance, a current user operational mode of the controlling device, a current room operational mode of the controlling device, etc. Still further, a need exists to allow a user of a remote control which has been previously programmed with macro command sequences, favorite channel tune-ins, etc., to easily determine what action is to be performed by such a programmed key prior to actually issuing the command(s), i.e., be reminded what function has been placed onto a programmable key. Further yet, a need exists on a universal remote control to conveniently identify to a user which specific key functions are available for each device type.